form of bellydance. It is more stationary than raqs sharqi, with little use of the arms, and the focus is on hip movements. Baladi dance has a 'heavy' feeling, with the dancer appearing relaxed and strongly connected to the ground. It is performed to baladi or folk music. Typical costuming for performances of this dance style is a long dress covering the midriff, which may be plain and traditional, or heavily embellished. Traditionally, a baladi dress would resemble a theatrical version of traditional Egyptian clothing. The most common version has a straight skirt with side slits, long sleeves which may be slit to the elbows, and a scooped or shirt-style neckline. Striped fabrics or tulle bi-telli are popular. A sash may be worn around the hips, and a headscarf is often also worn. A baladi-style performance may include the use of sagat, or the dancer may perform with a cane (assaya). Fifi Abdou, one of the legends of 20th-century Egyptian bellydance, is often described as a baladi-style dancer. 'Baladi' rhythm In the West, the Masmoudi Sogheir ('small Masmoudi') rhythm in Arabic music is often referred to as 'baladi' because it is commonly used in baladi music. This is somewhat misleading, as there are several other rhythms commonly found in the baladi style (including Maqsoum, Saiidi and Fellahi), and this rhythm is also found in other musical styles. The basic structure of this rhythm, played on the darbuka, is as follows: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & D-D---T-D---T--- Capitals represent stressed beats. Dum (D) is the dominant hand on the middle of the drum, Tek (T) either the dominant or the non-dominant hand on the rim of the drum. Ka (k) is usually the non-dominant hand on the rim of the drum. The drummer has freedom to "fill" in between these stressed beats as he/she sees fit to interpret the music. A common fill is: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & D D tkT D tkT D D tkT D tkT tk Here, the second version has a "bridge" to lead it into the next bar. Baladi foods In some Middle Eastern countries, some fruits and vegetables are sold and announced as "baladi" products, i.e. native, natural, fresh, un-cultivated and un-engineered. this usually refers to specific cultivars of fruit and vegetables that are rarely sold outside of farmer's markets and have unique visual or culinary attributes, for